Teacher Exchange Program and International Partnerships

Teacher Exchange Program and International Partnerships, October 2008

Heartspring’s Teacher Exchange Program is in its fourth year of sharing information with professionals from Heartspring’s sister school, the Stars and Rain Education Institute in Beijing, China. And this fall marked the first year for our second sister school, Action for Autism and Open Door School, from New Delhi, India to join the exchange program.

In October, the Teacher Exchange Program brought teachers and staff from China and India to Heartspring for three weeks to collaborate with Heartspring professionals for hands-on learning and training. Each guest came with an open mind and heart, ready to take in new ideas and information and of course make lasting impressions upon everyone.

Heartspring has a long history of sharing expertise with organizations around the world that serve children with special needs and recognizing outstanding professionals and programs in the United States and worldwide, both leading to relationships that allow us to further train and share knowledge with professionals and programs all over the world.

The International Partnership Request provides the opportunity for Individual professionals or programs to request a partnership with Heartspring for a variety of reasons. Many individuals and programs from other parts of the world need to feel connected to other professionals to collaborate for ideas and information sharing.

The Heartspring Award for Innovation and Creativity in Special Education is presented each summer to innovative and creative professionals, and allows them to collaborate with others in the field of special education during an informative summer session. When selected for this award, winners also receive a $1,000 monetary award.

The professionals who came in October for the Teacher Exchange Program from Stars & Rain and Action for Autism discovered the importance of collaboration and partnership with other programs and professionals in order to expand their knowledge and training.

As the three weeks passed, Li Jing (Lily), Wu Liangsheng (Lion) and Tian Huiping (Hope) from Stars and Rain and Jayati Ghosh and Preeti Siwach from Action for Autism and Open Door School spent time in the classrooms, homes and out-patient program at Heartspring to learn from Heartspring professionals. They valued each interaction with the staff and students, whether hands-on training with a child, observation or one on one training with a professional.

The last evening concluded with a small dinner gathering, where all the guests from China and India took turns sharing what the last few weeks at Heartspring has meant to them and what they have learned. It was a time of reflection, laughter and tears. The exchange program brought strangers together, who within three weeks have shared lasting memories and experiences, all based on a shared passion for helping children with autism and special needs. Hope with Stars and Rain was able to summarize the feelings of everyone by saying, “I am sad to leave. I do not like saying good-bye. But Lily has said that she is not sad, she is stronger now. And with strength we can return home to use the new skills we have learned to help children. With communication and education, we can help others.”

To learn more about Heartspring’s sister schools, please visit the China and India section of our website.